This isn't anorexia is it? (Long)

[NJBelle]

Two years ago I was on prednisone (a steroid) to help with my arthritis. It made me feel great but I gained a ton of weight. You may imagine that this was very hard for a 12 year old girl. I was 5 ft 1 in and was 130 lbs. For me this was a lot since I've always been a naturally skinny girl.
Anyway, I got off the drug and started loosing weight. I was very pleased with this and once I got to 110 lbs (the weight for my hight) I was over joyed.
Now here is the problem. Prednisone makes you want to eat and eat and eat. So I did eat. Now that I'm off it I'm not hungry all the time. In fact I'm never hungry. I've stopped eating breakfast and sometimes skip lunch. The thought of eating makes me sick to my stomache.
Last month I noticed while in the shower that I can see all my ribs. I thought nothing of it. At church and other social gatherings people have commented on how thin I'm looking after being so large for a time. I still thought nothing of that. But a couple weeks ago I got on the scale. I weighed only 104 lbs. At first I though, "Wow! After being 130 I'm 104! This is great!" But then I noticed that I'm getting thinner and thinner. This morning I got on the scale and weighed 103 lbs. I checked how much I should weigh online. I should weigh 110- 115 lbs. I'm not even near that. I talked to my Mom about it and she looked at me with a worried expression and said, "You need to eat, honey." I tried to eat breakfast but couldn't without feeling sick. I didn't eat much of a lunch either. Just a piece of toast and a fruit smoothie.
What should I do? I'm afraid that I'm becoming anorexic! I can't eat and continue to loose weight. I'm just a little worried about it. It could be nothing but it's got me scared.

[Jasper]

It may not be anything more than your body adjusting to the weight loss and being off the steroids. However, the best thing to do is to get an appointment with your doctor and tell him/her everything about your eating habits and let that person give you direction.

You should also think about what your eating habits were like after you got off the steroids and were losing your weight. Even though it may not be anorexia it is possible that you have developed bad eating habits that now make it difficult for you to gain weight. But again, the best thing to do is to see your doctor about it!!

[MMouse6937]

I would DEFINATELY make an appointment to see your doctor. It's not necessarily true that you have anorexia because it doesn't appear that you are obsessing about your weight and purposely trying to lose weight, but the fact that you have no appetite and eating makes you feel sick, and you're losing weight without trying, is a reason to seek professional help. You may have something wrong with your digestive system or a number of other things that would make you lose your appetite. At least you have acknowledged it as this point, where most anorexics don't think they have a problem. Please, make an appt to see your doctor and have them run some tests to make sure you're ok. Good luck to you and take care :hug:

[SBETigg]

I would DEFINATELY make an appointment to see your doctor. It's not necessarily true that you have anorexia because it doesn't appear that you are obsessing about your weight and purposely trying to lose weight, but the fact that you have no appetite and eating makes you feel sick, and you're losing weight without trying, is a reason to seek professional help. You may have something wrong with your digestive system or a number of other things that would make you lose your appetite. At least you have acknowledged it as this point, where most anorexics don't think they have a problem. Please, make an appt to see your doctor and have them run some tests to make sure you're ok. Good luck to you and take care :hug:

I don't know much about anorexia, but this all sounds right to me. Best wishes for your good health.

[MsMin]

I've done a lot of work w/ Anorexia Nervosa (commonly called anorexia) and it is different than you describe. There are many anorexics that would die to eat anything they could. While you hear stories about not being about to eat a lot has more to do w/ the anxiety and depression that are associated with eating and not the lost of appetite like you describe.
People often confuse the term Anorexia which means loss of appetite with the psychological disorder Anorexia nervosa (AN). They are very different and the psychological disorder has a component that involves the restriction of food in order to lose weight and the inability to see that you do not need to lose weight. See how you describe that you are aware that you may be underweight.
Also beware of many sites on the internet. Some weights are not designed for teens but for adults. I don't know how tall you are or your age; but you will find many differences in weight charts. We use a BMI or body mass index to calculate your risk.
Again, from what you describe, you don't sound at risk for AN; but, you could have something else going on so as everyone has mentioned it's always good to check things out with your DR. A doc can run a chem panel to see what is going on and what may be needed.
Be sure to tell your doctor just as you described here. That you are feeling thin and don't have an appetite but are not trying to diet. While all MD's are not specialized in AN they do know the other facts about your health. If your doc can't help he/she could certainly refer you to someone who can.
Again, what you describe is anorexia, the lack of appetite but not anorexia nervosa.
:pixie:

[BouncingTigger]

I agree that you should definitely make a doctor's appointment to see if there is a medical problem going on.

However, I am not going to say that you do not have anorexia, nor am I going to say that you do have it. That is a call for a professional to make, so I encourage you to talk to a therapist (one with eating disorder experience) if you are concerned about possibly having an eating disorder. It is possible that you are having physical problems. However, you did relate that there is an emotional factor in what is going on ("very pleased...over joyed...great"), so it would not hurt to explore that.

Not all eating disorders look the same; not all people with anorexia experience the same thing. I have struggled with eating disorders (ED) since I was 14 (now am 21) and have met a lot of other ED people through various treatments. Sometimes I was consciously obsessing about my weight and trying to lose weight and consciously restricting food. However, for my worst relapse, I was not trying to diet - I simply had no appetite and didn't eat. I got thinner and thinner and while at first I felt good for losing weight, after a while I did not feel good about it. I could see I was underweight but still could not get myself to stop. I let myself get very underweight because since I wasn't conscious of the typical anorexia warning signs, I figured I didn't really have a problem. When I finally did get into therapy, I figured part of this was about control (being able to control this part of my life even though other parts of my life were pretty stressful and crazy) and once I started to try to get back to a healthy weight, THEN I became very conscious of my weight and what I was eating. I met other girls experiencing this same sort of thing.

Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are NOT about the food. The food is simply what the underlying issues (depression, low self esteem, anxiety, family issues, stress, etc) take it out on. Control is also a big part in this. Basically an ED is a coping mechanism that helps people cope with difficult feelings and issues. Treatment for EDs teaches other, healthier coping mechanisms (among other things).

My point is not to scare you or make you think you have the same thing I did. My point is for you to follow your gut instinct: if you are worried about this, then check it out with a professional. You have nothing to lose by checking it out and it is better to be safe than sorry. Even if you do not have an ED, it sounds like you have been through a lot and it might help to talk to a therapist anyway.

Good luck! Let us know how things go. Feel free to PM me if you like.

[DisneyDudet]

MsMin is right, you could have anorexia, not anorexia nervosa.

Can I ask if you are on any medications? Sometimes, medicines will cause you not to want to eat. There could be many reasons why you do not want to eat, and one could be hormonal. Since prednisone is a synthetic hormone, your body may have been used to it, and isn't making its normal steroids. Did your doctor wean you off, gradually decreasing your doses over time? If not, this may be a cause. Stopping prednisone does cause a loss of appetite.

Have you noticed anything else different about you? Maybe your hair texture changing, or your menstrual cycle is irregular or different than before?

Please do not take this as a diagnosis or treatment. I would talk to your doctor, and would request blood work to test hormone levels, especially those from the Adrenal Gland (where steroids come from).

In any case, see your doctor as soon as you can. Not giving the body the nutrients it needs can cause serious problems. I know you aren't doing this on purpose, but you need to get to the bottom of it, before it gets worse, and causes serious health problems.

It could me nothing, but you don't want to take the chance that it is something.

Please let us know how it goes, and here's some :pixie: for you!

[#1donaldfan]

Please get with you family Dr. just to have a check up......at least then you'll know what you have to do......good luck to you !!!

[NJBelle]

Can I ask if you are on any medications? Sometimes, medicines will cause you not to want to eat.
......
Have you noticed anything else different about you? Maybe your hair texture changing, or your menstrual cycle is irregular or different than before?



I'm on two drugs still. Enbrel, which is a twice weekly injection, and Relafen (or Nabomitone) once a day.

I have noticed some irregular things going on in my body. I'll bring them up with my doctor when I see him next.

Thank you all very much for the good wishes and for the advice. I'll be making an appointment with my doctor soon.

[gusthedog]

I was on Prednisone for my Crohn's Disease. It is a nasty drug with all kind of side effects. I was relieved when I was able to stop taking it. As everyone else has suggested, you should speak to your doctor--it would not surprise me if it was Prednisone related

[TheMartellFamily]

Any sort of weight loss should be brought up to your Dr. Make an appointment for your saftey. I can tell you that I am off an on predisone for my alcerative collitis and I do gain weight while on it. there are also many side effects to this drug too. Just call your Dr. and they will take a blood test and probablly a physical just to make sure. The sooner the better.

[DisneyDudet]

I'm on two drugs still. Enbrel, which is a twice weekly injection, and Relafen (or Nabomitone) once a day.

I have noticed some irregular things going on in my body. I'll bring them up with my doctor when I see him next.

Thank you all very much for the good wishes and for the advice. I'll be making an appointment with my doctor soon.

I looked up Enbrel, and an adverse reaction/side effect to it is unexplained weight loss, and everything that I read, it says you need to notify your doctor of this. Also, an adverse reaction/side effect of Relafen is loss of appetite.

Again, even though these effects are not completely unexpected with these medications, it doesn't mean its ok, so definitely bring up ALL your concerns and anything different do your doctor.

[MsMin]

If you are on meds that explain the weight loss then maybe your doctor can recommend a dietitian to help you maintain a healthy weight. You may need to supplement your diet or increase your caloric intake w/ what you are able to eat. Milkshakes are often great for anorexia. You don't want to get too thin b/c over a period of time organ damage when it's not addressed so do take care and let us know how you are doing. The expression you can never be too thin or too rich... one of them is a lie ;)

[jeddalynn]

I agree with everything MsMinn said and want to encourage you to see a Dr. ASAP.

I'm a student (at least for another three months! :cloud9:) of children's mental health. I'm an intern at a hospital. I work with a psychiatrist doing assessments. I am NOT qualified to give a diagnosis, and I want to warn you to be particularly wary of info you find while searching the web!

With that being said, I'll throw in my own two cents and say that this sounds like a meds. issue and not an eatting disorder (of which there are several, not just anorexia.)

Firstly, people with anorexia don't usually look at themselves and say "huh! I appear to be to thin!" Its usually the opposite ;) Also, it doesn't seem that you're deliberately avoiding food, you just don't feel like eatting! There can be LOTS of reasons that happens. And I assume your not making yourself throw up or doing other things to get the food out of you.

Eatting disorders are pretty complex psychological issues. They're more then just being too thin and having a poor appetite.

[Speedy1998]

NJBelle I highly encourage you to see a doctor.
Something you may want them to have you tested for is Lupus, it is often mistaken for Arthritis. Which you mentioned you have and weight loss is also sometimes a symptom. My wife was diagnosed with Arthritis and was treated for arthritis for 2 years before a doctor tested her for Lupus. It turned out that she did have Lupus, which required some different treatments.

I have posted a link to the Mayo Clinic's website about Lupus.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lupus/DS00115/DSECTION=2

Good Luck,
I hope you get better.

[NJBelle]

My doctor does not think I have anorexia. We looked at my charts and saw that before the dreaded prednisone I was always a little skinny but not abnormally so. He said that he expected me to loose lots of weight when I got off prednisone and that I would probably get really thin again. He told me not to really worry about my weight. But to stay healthy he said I should try to eat three meals a day, even if they are very small. :) I'm very happy that I'm okay though. Thank you for all the good wishes and pixie dust!

[DizNee143]

glad you went to the doctors..and got looked at..also glad he said it was nothing to worry about...:mickey:

[Speedy1998]

glad to hear that you went to the doctor and that it does not seem to be serious.

[DisneyDudet]

My doctor does not think I have anorexia. We looked at my charts and saw that before the dreaded prednisone I was always a little skinny but not abnormally so. He said that he expected me to loose lots of weight when I got off prednisone and that I would probably get really thin again. He told me not to really worry about my weight. But to stay healthy he said I should try to eat three meals a day, even if they are very small. :) I'm very happy that I'm okay though. Thank you for all the good wishes and pixie dust!

Thats great about the doctor thinking you're ok!

I was wondering though, what did he say about you not feeling like eating, or things of that nature? That might make it quite hard to eat 3 meals a day for me!

[NJBelle]

He said I had probably 'shut off' my hunger signals while I was trying to loose weight on prednisone. He asked me what's the first thing I do in the morning when I get into the kitchen. Well, I get a big glass of orange juice and have my medications and supliments. He said I should try eating a little bit first (even if it's one piece of toast) before having the orange juice. I assume that it's because the juice fills me up and then I don't want to eat anything. For the last couple of days I've been eating a piece of toast in the morning before having my meds. It seems to be helping me eat my three meals per day.